Online Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice

The nursing profession is advancing. Are you?

Maryville University’s online BSN to DNP program is for nurses who have already set their sights on leadership. Now it’s time to choose a path. That’s why we offer an accelerated way to earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice. Our curriculum is streamlined, yet doesn’t cut any corners. This is an intense program deeply focused on the scientific underpinnings of nursing, healthcare policy, and organizational management. (Just like DNPs.) Choose Maryville and graduate with a holistic view of nursing leadership.

100% online with no campus visits required

No GMAT, GRE, or statistics required for admission

Earn your DNP in as few as 36 months

Choose from 5 concentrations

Complete clinicals locally in your preferred setting

No waiting list once you’re accepted

Deans, faculty, and other members of the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing discuss what makes Maryville’s nursing programs distinctive and provide advice for prospective online nursing students.

Why choose our online BSN to DNP program?

Your talent can close the leadership gap.

You’ve likely heard about the looming nursing and physician shortage for years now. You may have noticed there’s a lot of support for bringing new talent into the profession. Less attention has been paid to what might happen to a healthcare system that lacks leadership. That’s why our online BSN to DNP program is focused on closing the leadership gap. We’re committed to empowering experienced nurses like you for what’s ahead.

Fast track your future to the forefront of care.

You have already taken ownership of your nursing career by earning your BSN degree. Our accelerated BSN to DNP program online is more than just the next step. It’s a giant leap forward — not only for your future, but for the future of healthcare. Our program helps experienced nurses like you move from the front lines of care to the forefront of the healthcare profession. Now is the time to fast track your career and earn the necessary credentials to become a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Our DNP graduates:

Apply evidence-based research to improve the quality of patient care at the bedside and beyond.

Advocate for patient safety at all points of contact, from admission through discharge.

Lead projects that help to define the future of nursing within your organization.

Prepare for an executive or policy-setting role as a high-level decision-maker.

Educate other nursing professionals who are also ready to move ahead with their careers.

Founded in 1872 — Top Ranked for Today

Proud to be recognized as one of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission — HLC

Ranked among “America’s Top Colleges” — Forbes, 2018

Ranked among the best values in private colleges
— Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 2018

Accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — CCNE

The Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Maryville University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Choose Your BSN to DNP Concentration

Our online BSN to DNP program online offers several concentrations to help you focus your leadership perspective. Concentrate your knowledge and skill in your area of interest:

The Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner specializes in providing holistic care for adult patients in specialized units, such as ICU, ER, Step Down, Med-Surg, and similar areas. Working in this fast-paced environment demands the skills to perform a variety of life-saving procedures as well as treatments that directly impact an individual’s quality of life.

The Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner provides first-rate care for individuals as they progress through their adult life. Today’s aging population demands nurses who are highly knowledgeable and in tune with their unique healthcare needs.

The Family Nurse Practitioner works in primary care settings and manages the health needs for patients of all ages. What does it take to care for patients from birth through end of life? It takes knowledge and skills beyond treatment to providing disease prevention, counseling, and health and wellness education.

The Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner cares for children from birth to young adulthood. Today’s nurse practitioners deliver highly skilled care and provide access to the knowledge that can help families make healthy choices.

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) provides holistic mental healthcare for patients of all ages, from childhood through the end of life. Nurse practitioners focusing on this specialization have the knowledge it takes to counsel and educate patients, diagnose conditions, and interpret and evaluate test results.

Why choose Maryville for your BSN to DNP?

We’re a private, four-year institution ranked as one of America’s Best Colleges by both U.S. News & World Report and Forbes. We’re also proud to have been named to the Military Friendly Schools list for the 6th consecutive year. When you choose us for your online MSN to DNP degree, you receive a highly flexible and highly regarded education with the added convenience of being delivered 100% online. Here are a few more reasons why we offer you the best path:

Streamline your time and talent to earn a post-master’s certificate.

Graduate from a program accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Enjoy a flexible and convenient 24/7 online learning model.

Explore important topics that can help pave the way to a better future for yourself and the nurses who follow in your footsteps.

Take the opportunity to conduct research via clinical inquiry courses that will challenge your assumptions.

Learn from an expert faculty of nursing leaders who openly share their experiences and insights regarding public health and the nursing profession.

Current Maryville online nursing student Elizabeth Miller describes her online experience and why she chose Maryville. Additionally, Elizabeth discusses the support she receives from faculty and advisors.

Why is the career outlook so strong for DNPs?

Career opportunities for DNP graduates

Maryville’s graduates are prepared to lead at the highest clinical levels. By earning your Doctor of Nursing Practice through our online BSN to DNP program, you have incredible and rewarding career opportunities ahead of you. According to a salary survey conducted by the journal Advance for NPs & PAs, DNP-prepared NPs earned $8,576 more than master’s-prepared NPs. Depending on your area of greatest interest, you may choose to:

Become a nurse educator at a school of nursing or within the hospital setting.

Start your own private practice to support the health needs of your community.

Pursue an executive-level position in hospital administration.

Legislate for healthcare policy changes on the local, state, or national level.

Advocate for patient rights in the delivery of safe, quality care.

Conduct clinical research that can improve processes and procedures.

10 Reasons Why DNP-prepared Nurses Are in Demand

The Institute of Medicine, The Joint Commission, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and other leading authorities have called for rethinking clinical doctorate programs to prepare tomorrow’s expert practitioners.

Today, 23 states permit those with a doctor of nursing practice degree to open their own clinics and become their own boss.

The shortage of primary care physicians is anticipated to reach a minimum of 100,000 by 2025, with a greater scarcity in rural and inner-city communities.

Nursing is moving in the direction of other health professions. The following all require or offer practice doctorates: medicine (MD), dentistry (DDS), pharmacy (PharmD), psychology (PsyD), physical therapy (DPT), and audiology (AudD).

The shortage of nurse educators means that U.S. nursing schools have recently turned away more than 75,000 qualified applicants due to insufficient faculty and other compounding factors.

The DNP-prepared nurse is fully equipped to implement the science developed by nurse researchers in PhD, DNS, and other research-focused nursing doctorates.

The ongoing updates to healthcare legislation are inviting millions of new patients into the system.

The daily influx of new technologies is constantly transforming the healthcare system, requiring nursing leaders to continually refresh and advance their knowledge.

The aging patient population contributes to the complexity of care and the demand for leadership.

The emergence of nurse-run clinics will continue to be integral in meeting the need for improved access to local community healthcare.

Online BSN to DNP Curriculum

Want to advance and make the biggest impact possible through your nursing career? If you have your Bachelor of Science in Nursing and want to be brave and earn your Doctor of Nursing Practice, then our online BSN to DNP program is for you.

We designed our curriculum to help you become a researcher, practitioner, decision-maker, and leader at the highest levels of the nursing profession. With advanced courses in subjects like health promotion, pathophysiology, biostatistics, research, and systems leadership, our curriculum is designed to give you a direct route to the top of the nursing field.

The online BSN to DNP program curriculum is carefully designed with three entry points per year: spring, summer, and fall. This blended program features five distinct concentrations and includes master’s and doctoral-level courses, all of which can be completed 100% online. You can learn more at our curriculum page.

Family Nurse Practitioner

This 18-credit track features advanced courses in gerontology, pediatrics, and family health that can help you develop the skills necessary to become a family nurse practitioner and treat patients of all ages.

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP

If you want to be a primary care NP who focuses on patients 13 and older, this 12-credit concentration can help you build the skills necessary to provide the best care possible.

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP

Study advanced concepts related to acute care diagnosis and management and learn the skills to become an AGACNP in this 18-credit concentration.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

If you want to devote your practice as a nurse to working with children, you can earn your online BSN to DNP with a PNP concentration. This 15-credit track features advanced courses in health promotion, assessment, and diagnosis of children.

Psychiatric Mental Health NP

Want to use your nursing degree to help diagnose, treat, and improve mental health? This concentration features 21 credit hours of courses in mental health assessment, diagnosis, and management.